Smoke curled through the Hokage's office, where a faint smell of tobacco lingered.
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi set down the documents in his hand, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled. The smoke formed a vague shape before him, much like his mood at that moment, filled with anxiety and unease.
"Those two brats..." he murmured, the White-Eye Brothers' faces appearing in his mind. Those energetic troublemakers were always causing him all kinds of headaches.
"Lord Hokage," an Anbu Ninja appeared silently behind him. "We've received word from Lord Aburame Shimbi. The match is nearly over, and he intends to observe Mitaraishi Anko up close."
The Third Hokage narrowed his eyes slightly and looked through the Crystal Ball at the scene on the field.
Aburame Shimbi stood beside Anko, his expression serious as he seemed to be observing something closely.
"Zhiwei..." the Third Hokage murmured.
The Third Hokage took a deep drag, and the smoke curled around him, blurring the wrinkles on his face without concealing the deep light in his eyes.
"Zhiwei..." His low voice carried a hint of satisfaction. "Always so careful and cautious. No wonder he's one of Konoha's pillars." He recalled Zhiwei's performance on the battlefield: steady and composed, he could always spot the enemy's weaknesses and win the greatest victories at the smallest cost.
The pipe tapped lightly against his fingertips twice, making a crisp sound that seemed to strike the Third Hokage's heart.
"That boy Orochimaru..." He thought again of Mitaraishi Anko's teacher, the once-genius ninja who had become increasingly difficult to read.
Nawa's death had dealt him a terrible blow. After that, Orochimaru seemed like a different person. "That child Anko has a remarkable talent, but..." The Third Hokage shook his head. He reached for the Crystal Ball on his desk, and its icy touch jolted him back to alertness.
"Let's see just how much these children have grown..." he murmured, his cloudy eyes fixed on the Crystal Ball as if he could see through its secrets.
Suddenly, his gaze settled on one figure, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "That boy..."
The Third Hokage picked up the Crystal Ball, its cool touch clearing his slightly muddled thoughts.
He slowly poured Chakra into it. The Crystal Ball, dim only a moment before, abruptly lit up, and the scene on the field appeared clearly before him.
He first looked over the field. The young figures ran and leaped about, sweating as they went, their childish faces full of focus and longing.
When his gaze finally settled on Haotian, a smile rose on his lips of its own accord.
"That boy..." the Third Hokage murmured, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his cloudy eyes.
Haotian wasn't particularly conspicuous among the crowd; he even seemed rather ordinary. But the Third Hokage could sense something different about him: a pure, unyielding will, like Konoha's flame, burning on without end.
He could even vaguely sense an ancient power within the boy, one he himself couldn't understand. It made him both curious and eager to see more.
"There's a light in his eyes, just like the First and the Second Hokage..." the Third Hokage thought to himself. He could sense the firm conviction in Haotian's eyes, another expression of the Will of Fire—a strength that refused to yield to any hardship.
He had seen that light countless times in the eyes of ninjas who had sacrificed themselves to protect Konoha. Now it shone once more in Haotian, filling him with satisfaction, as if he could see Konoha's future.
Yet even as he felt pleased, a hint of worry stirred in the Third Hokage's heart.
He knew Haotian wasn't particularly capable in actual combat. In the Ninja Academy's practical lessons, his performance had been merely average, far behind that of the exceptionally gifted ninjas.
He worried Haotian would suffer in the brutality of battle, that his weakness would make him lose confidence.
Just as the Third Hokage's thoughts were churning, something unexpected happened on the field.
"You... You actually poisoned the blood!" Mitaraishi Anko shrieked, her voice full of shock and fury. She clutched her throat, her face turning pale in an instant. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her body began to tremble.
She pointed at Haotian, her eyes full of disbelief and fear.
Her lips had turned an unnatural purplish black, an unmistakable sign of poisoning.
"What's going on?" The referee at the edge of the field froze for a moment, his gaze darting between Anko and Haotian. He had no idea what was happening.
The noisy field fell silent in an instant. Everyone was stunned by the sudden turn of events. They looked at Anko in disbelief, then at Haotian, who stood there calmly. How had Anko, who had been full of life just moments ago, suddenly been poisoned?
Haotian remained where he was, his eyes narrowing slightly,
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